


To Kill A Mockingbird

by Katherine_Queen_Of_Hell



Series: Things We Lost In The Fire [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, Nightmares, Post-Blind Betrayal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 01:54:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14345502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine_Queen_Of_Hell/pseuds/Katherine_Queen_Of_Hell
Summary: In ways, Danse saw Aries the same way he saw Atticus Finch. She had stood up against Elder Maxson in Danse's defense the same way Atticus had stood up for Tom Robinson against nearly impossible odds.





	To Kill A Mockingbird

As soon as he'd heard the elevator hum to life, Danse was on his feet, approaching it with rifle in hand. He had a good idea of who would be riding it down, but he didn't want to take chances. Too many a scavenger or raider had been unfortunate enough to make their way into Listening Post Bravo and he'd dispatched them swiftly, disposing of their bodies afterwards. 

 

Thankfully, neither of the Commonwealth scum stepped through the door, only a cobalt vault suit and striking gray eyes. Aries smiles tiredly at him and steps out of the elevator. 

 

“Am I interrupting something?” She said adjusting her backpack across her shoulders, clearly uncomfortable. But, Danse knew she wouldn't put it down; she wouldn't walk in like she owned the place. You can take the woman out of pre-war times, but you can't take the pre-war out of the woman. Even after 200 years, Aries’ manners hadn't worn away. “I'm sorry for barging in like this.” 

 

Danse lowered his rifle and pulled the strap over his shoulder. “No apologies necessary, Aries. You're always welcome here. Make yourself comfortable,” he responded.

 

She slung the backpack off her shoulder and left it by the door, clearly stifling a groan at the release of tension. Danse walked off across the bunker, re-racking his rifle. In the months after he was banished from the Brotherhood, he'd made Listening Post Bravo a proper home. He cleared the rubble away from one of the walls and found a working bathroom, kitchen, and living quarters. After he'd cleaned up, he brought in scrounged furniture from nearby houses. 

 

“Are you hungry? I have some radstag soup on the stove.”

 

Aries shook her head and started to backtrack toward her things again. “That reminds me..” From her baggage, she unearthed three boxes Danse's favorite Fancy Lad’s Snack Cakes. “These should hold over your addiction until my next visit.”

 

Danse smiled and accepted the boxes as she passed them to him. “Thank you. You didn't have to find these for me.” 

 

She shrugged and returned his smile tiredly. “It's the least I can do, Danse.”

 

With that, he turned and went into the kitchen, depositing the boxes in the supply cabinet. Aries followed him and when he turned back around to face her again, he took the time to notice the changes in her. 

 

Aries leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest, sighing almost as though she were defeated. She was thinner than she had been, losing much of her pre-war plumpness, and she was more toned, her arms and legs almost straining against her vault suit with the muscle definition. Her hair was shorter, too, more obviously so than the rest of the differences. She had shaved it along the sides and left a thick crop of her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. 

 

“Are you sure you aren't hungry?” He asked again, worry for her aching uncontrollably in his chest. “I have plenty.” 

 

Again, she shook her head. 

 

He cleared his throat. “Alright… well… The barracks and the showers are up and running. Feel free to use anything you find.” Danse busied himself with stirring the nearly forgotten stew. 

 

Aries said nothing, simply kissing him on the cheek in thanks and heading out of the kitchen. Soon, he heard one of the showers running and he decided he'd go on patrol to give her some time to herself. 

 

Danse picked his rifle up from its rack and left her a note telling her he would be back soon, then he started for the elevator. 

***

When Danse returned almost an hour later, the bunker was quiet and his note was untouched. Upon inspection, he found Aries curled up on one of the beds in the barracks under a threadbare blanket. In sleep, the lines that had formed on her face disappeared, leaving the smooth complexion he had first laid eyes on in Cambridge. 

 

Danse smiled softly and began busily finishing up the day's chores. He took a shower, ate enough dinner to fill his belly, cleaned what few weapons he still had, then made sure the elevator would remain off for the night. Afterwards, he fixed up the old couch in the main room with bedding and blankets, deeming it a wise idea to sleep there instead of in the barracks with Aries. She needed the sleep and he wasn't about to steal it from her with his constant tossing and turning. 

 

Danse settled down on the couch with a book he had found in the bunker: ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. The racism towards the colored man convicted of rape in the book reminded him of the Brotherhood’s policy toward Synths. They hated him just because he was different. In ways, Danse saw Aries the same way he saw Atticus Finch. She had stood up against Elder Maxson in Danse's defense the same way Atticus had stood up for Tom Robinson against nearly impossible odds. 

 

Suddenly, Aries’ cries of distress yanked him from his thoughts and he was at her bedside in a moment. She was dreaming, crying, reaching out desperately for someone who was long gone. Danse didn't know what to do. He'd never dealt with emotions like that before. He understood the grief and the suffering in his own way, but this was different. 

 

Her hands shot out and latched tightly onto his jacket. Her eyes flew open in surprise at the feeling of something tangible, something she could hand onto, then Aries’ face grew bright red with embarrassment. 

 

“Sorry… I.. I didn't mean to wake you…” She muttered, averting her gaze. 

 

“It's alright. I wasn't asleep,” Danse responded, gently taking her hands in his. “How long have you been having nightmares?” 

 

Aries sniffles, coming more to her senses. “Since… Since you were banished… I keep dreaming about losing you… About Maxson killing you… God..” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I love you, Danse. I can't lose you.”

 

Something warm and filling broke in Danse's chest, spreading through his limbs and making them heavy. “How… can you love me? It doesn't make sense.. After everything the Brotherhood has taught you, how could you love a machine?”

 

Her laugh was unsteady and nervous, but comforted him in a way. “You're not a machine, Danse. You're more human than anyone I've ever met. And I love you. So much. That's why I come around so much, why I bring you your favorite cakes, and why I make sure you're always safe.” Aries’ hands pulled from his and moved to cup his face. “I. Love. You.”

 

Danse couldn't help but let himself lean into her soft touch, the words in response slipping past his lips unchecked. “I...I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and let me know what you think!


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